Our government was established to promote the general welfare. We want and deserve – and we can have – a lean, effective, responsive, and truly democratic government. This book updates ideas from Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Martin Luther King Jr., and several Nobel laureate economists. A majority of Americans supported these ideas in the 1960's, and Congress almost enacted a version of this plan. Alaska residents have a version, since 1982. They love it. Current supporters include prominent authors and Silicon Valley billionaires. Pilot projects are underway in the United States and around the world. The plan is simple: Set an amount, say $500 or $1,000, and provide it each month to every adult citizen, a basic income. Cut welfare, corporate welfare, and other programs that become superfluous. Adjust the amount occasionally to prevent or relieve recessions, inflation, and such. Let states supplement it. Everyone will have an income, enough for food and shelter at least, a sturdy floor to replace the tattered safety net. Everyone will be free to earn, spend, save, and invest as we choose - and free to earn as much as we can. Basic income will be monthly reminders that we are citizens, and equal; that we live in one country, united; and that we have reasons to work together, We the People. We'll soon achieve meaningful progress on health care, tax reform, global warming, immigration, national security, and other issues. What are your dreams for yourself and your family? What is the America you want to live in, say in five or ten years? Would you like a basic income, perhaps $1,000 a month tax-free, guaranteed for the rest of your life? Join the campaign. You can help make history.
